The Sea - TNT

Although Edward Bond's often hard-hitting work was influential in the UK in the '60s and '70s, his political dramas have long fallen out of fashion. Artistic director Jonathan Kent has bravely chosen to revive his only comedy, which premiered at the Royal Court in 1973. Veering from a Tempest-like storm scene to the am dram rehearsals of sedate Edwardian ladies to the violent stabbing of a washed-up corpse, its odd unpredictability is excellently served by spot-on acting. David Haig's increasingly demented draper, convinced that aliens are about to take over, proves once again he's a master at portraying frustrated rage. Eileen Atkins's Mrs Rafi rules over the little coastal town with imperious disdain, and Marcia Warren provides comic joy as her subtly rebellious companion.
Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SW1 (0844-844 2353). Until April 19. £20-£47.50